


Useful

by FishEyenoMiko



Category: Pushing Daisies
Genre: Burns, Fire, Gen, Hospitals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-07
Updated: 2013-02-07
Packaged: 2017-11-28 12:09:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/674250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FishEyenoMiko/pseuds/FishEyenoMiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a fire breaks out at the Pie Hole, Chuck's inability to help Ned leads her to question whether her continued presence is doing him more harm than good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Useful

Chuck let out a scream at the sound of an explosion, and breaking glass, and, worst of all, Ned's own scream of surprise and pain. Running into the kitchen of The Pie Hole, Chuck saw her boyfriend lying on the floor. His shirt was nearly burned off, and he had cuts from the broken glass, as well as other wounds and burns. She ran up to him, grabbing oven mitts as she did. There was smoke billowing from the ruined oven, and Chuck had to back up for a second, coughing. But she quickly covered her mouth with one hand and rushed back in. Knowing smoke inhalation could easily kill him, and seeing that he wasn't moving on his own, Chuck grabbed Ned's arms and dragged him out of the kitchen, out into the restaurant itself. She opened the doors and windows so the smoke would dissipate. As she did this, Olive Snook, the Pie Hole's sole waitress, came running out of where she'd been taking a break in the bath room. 

"Oh, my God!"

"Call 9-1-1!" Chuck shouted. 

"Uh," Olive looked into the still-possibly toxic kitchen, the only place in the restaurant with a phone. Then: "I'll go next door!"

"Okay," Chuck replied. As Olive headed out the door, Chuck kneeled down next to Ned. The oven mitts made it hard to check his pulse, but putting her hands on his chest, she couldn't feel it moving up and down.

"Oh, God..."

She began doing chest compressions, but couldn't do the rescue breathing part... if she touched her lips to his, she would die, and that wouldn't be of any help to him at all. She suddenly regretted letting Olive leave. She wondered if it would work if she put a piece of plastic wrap between them. _No, Chuck, that makes no sense... you have to get air into his lungs..._

She was on the edge of truly panicking when the door opened an Olive came back in.

"You have to do the breathing part," she said; it was an odd way to open a conversation, but she really had no time to elaborate.

"What?"

"He's not breathing! Please, just... _please_..."

"Oh... oh!" Olive quickly ran up and knelt down next to Ned. Tilting his head back, she reached into his mouth and checked to make sure his air passage was clear, then she leaned down, breathing into mouth. Chuck pressed down on his chest a few times, then Olive breathed again. They did this a few more times when suddenly Ned breathed deeply, gasping a bit. He remained unconscious, but at least he was breathing on his own.

"He's breathing! You did it!"

"Yeah," Olive gasped, smiling weakly.

 

Soon the women heard sirens; and paramedics and firemen entered the building. The paramedics rushed over to the now-exhausted women, and the firemen went through into the kitchen to put out the fire and check the damage. There were several paramedics, and while some of them checked on Ned, two checked Chuck and Olive for smoke inhalation and any wounds they might have received. 

 

Chuck paced back and forth in the waiting room. 

"For God's sake," Emerson Cod muttered, "Sit yo ass down before you wear a hole in the carpet..."

"Sorry," she said, sitting down in the closest seat.

"I'm sure Ned will be fine," Olive said in a tone that suggested she wasn't sure.

"Of course he will be," Emerson said, with more certainty. As the two continued to talk, Chuck found her thoughts going down a slightly different path. 

_If he dies, it'll be my fault... I couldn't do anything but sit and watch him not breathe... Oh, God, I'm useless..._

A woman in a scrubs came into the waiting room. "Uh... Chuck Charles...?" She looked at her chart again, puzzled.

"I'm Chuck," the woman said, standing up.

" _You're_ Chuck?"

"It's short for Charlotte."

"Uh... okay..." the nurse said, shaking her head. "Ned wants to see you."

"Me...?"

"So, he's okay?" asked Olive.

"Yeah," said the nurse. "Dr. Apple didn't tell you?" The nurse rolled her eyes. "Yes, he's okay, We're going to keep him here for observation, but he should be fine."

"Can we see him?"

"He's still a bit woozy, so I think one at a time is going to be best right now, and only for a few minute at a time. And since he asked for her... sorry."

Olive smiled. "No, it's okay."

Chuck smiled at her friends. "I'll be back quick, and I'll tell you how he is, okay?"

 

Chuck walked into the room. Ned was lying in bed, eyes closed, no doubt resting. His face and arms--the only part of him she could see--had some bandages covering the places the glass had cut him, but he actually didn't look too bad, considering.

"Just a few minutes," the nurse reminded her, closing the door to give them privacy. As soon as she left, Chuck went over and took some gloves from the dispenser near the sink. Putting them on, she walked over and gently took Ned's hand.

Opening his eyes, Ned smiled at her. "Hey, you."

"Hey, you."

"What happened...?"

"There was a... a little explosion... and a fire..."

"Oh, well... as long as it was little." Ned turned and looked at her. He smiled. "But you're okay?"

"Yeah," said Chuck. "A little smoke inhalation, but I'm fine..."

"You were in the kitchen?"

"I went into the kitchen to get you." Realization dawned on Chuck. "Oh, God, the kitchen is a wreck..."

"But you're okay? And Olive, and Emerson... Was there anyone else?"

"Olive was on a potty break, and Emerson was at his office," Chuck informed him. "It was mid-day, you know how dead it gets..."

"So, no one was hurt. That's what matters, Chuck," Ned said, smiling and squeezing her hand. Then he furrowed his brow. "What's wrong, Chuck?"

"I..." she took a breath. "I couldn't help you... you were lying on the floor and not breathing and..." she wiped away a tear. "And I couldn't help you because if my lips touched yours, I'd die, and that sounds terribly selfish, but... well, I couldn't help you if I was dead, so it was a lose-lose, but..."

"Shh, shh, Chuck... it's all right, I understand. You're right, you dying wouldn't have helped anything. Even if help had come for me in time, you being dead would have been terrible..."

"I know, but... I just felt so... useless."

Ned looked puzzled, "But... didn't you say you got me out of the kitchen...?

"Well.. yeah..." Chuck smiled and held up her hands, wiggling her fingers. "I wore oven mitts."

Ned smiled. "There was smoke in the kitchen and you got me out. You did save me, Chuck."

Chuck looked away, blushing. "Yeah, I guess I did..."

Ned smiled at her. His eyes drooped a bit.

"I should let you sleep." Letting his hand go, Chuck put her hand gently over Ned's mouth. Leaning down, she kissed the back of her hand. She felt Ned's lips move against her hand, and heard him make a smooching sound. She smiled. Ned did, as well, as his eyes closed. 

Taking the gloves off and throwing them in the trash, she quietly left his room, smiling as she headed back to the waiting room.


End file.
